The Baby
by Luana Starlight
Summary: Crossover between LotR and Labyrinth. A baby is found. Who found it and where should it go?


Author's Notes: I do not own **any** of these characters EXCEPT Aluna. She is mine and you cannot have her. Other than that, enjoy the story. P.S. This story is going to be a small series.   
  
Magic Dance  
  
You remind me of the babe  
What babe?  
The babe with the power  
What power?  
The power of voodoo  
Who do?  
You do  
Do what?  
Remind me of the babe  
  
A goblin babe  
Ha ha ha ha...  
Well?  
Ha ha ha ha  
  
I saw my baby  
Crying hard as babes could cry  
What could I do?  
My baby's love had gone  
And left my baby blue  
Nobody knew  
  
What kind of magic spell to use  
Slime and snails  
Puppy dog tails  
Thunder or lightning  
Then baby said  
  
Dance, magic dance  
Dance, magic dance  
Jump, magic jump  
Jump, magic jump  
  
I saw my baby  
Trying hard as babes could try  
What could I do?  
My baby's love had gone  
And left my baby blue  
Nobody knew  
  
What kind of magic spell to use  
Slime and snails  
Puppy dog tails  
Thunder or lightning  
Then baby said  
  
Dance, magic dance  
Dance, magic dance  
Jump, magic jump  
Jump, magic jump  
  
What kind of magic spell to use?  
Slime and snails  
Or puppy dog tails  
Thunder or lightning  
Something frightening  
  
Dance, magic dance  
Dance, magic dance  
Jump, magic jump  
Jump, magic jump  
  
Labyrinth: The Baby  
  
Jareth leaned back on his throne. The goblins had enjoyed the small diversion and most were now sleeping. The baby, Aragorn, was asleep in the small pit wrapped in the safety of the Goblin Princess' arms. Aluna, the only daughter of the Goblin King and the most precious jewel of his kingdom, had taken a liking to the baby. Jareth had asked her why and she had told him that she didn't know. But he knew. It was because Aragorn was from Aboveground, not the Underground.  
Jareth stood and walked over to the pit and knelt down. Aluna stirred a little but didn't awaken. Aragorn stirred a little in her arms but he also remained asleep. Watching his daughter, Jareth could see the remains of his beloved wife. His wife had been from the Aboveground but she had died giving birth to Aluna. And so he had raised her, here in the safety of the Labyrinth and in the forests of her mother. Aluna loved both worlds and he knew her heart was torn.  
Jareth stood back up, turned, and walked over to the giant window. He stared out at the quiet Labyrinth, and remembered. Aluna had convinced him to walk in the forests with her several nights ago. And during that walk they had found the babe amid the dead bodies of a group of men and women. Jareth knew who they were but had not told his daughter. It had been Aluna who had found the baby, wrapped within a cloak and near the body of a woman she had assumed was the mother.  
A crystal glowed into being in Jareth's hand and he started to twirl it. They had brought the baby here but they couldn't keep him here. Jareth knew where the baby had to go, but the problem he knew he would have to face was getting his daughter to let go. Aragorn was human, and because he was human, he couldn't stay in the Underground. Jareth looked back at his daughter and the babe.  
"Daddy?" Aluna whispered, waking slowly.  
"Hello, Bright Eyes," Jareth said, making the crystal disappear while walking over to her.  
"What are we going to do with the baby?"   
To say this question caught him off-guard was an understatement. He stared at her for a few seconds before answering her.   
"We will have to take him back Aboveground and find a home for him there."   
"What if we cannot find someone who will take him in?"   
Jareth smiled and said, "I know someone who would be willing to take him in. In fact, I think he is looking for Aragorn right now."   
"Who?"   
"One of your mother's people."  
"You mean, one of the Elves." Jareth smiled.   
Aluna smiled up at her father and then looked at the baby she had cradled in her arms. She had grown to love the little boy and she knew she wouldn't want him to go so soon, but she knew what would happen to him if he stayed here too long. Aluna stood, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby and her father helped her out of the pit.   
"When do we leave?"   
"Do you wish to go now?"   
"I think that will make it easier for me to let him go. I fear that I am growing quite attached to him."   
Jareth smiled at her and looked to his throne. Draped across it was his cloak, which he pointed at and it flew to him. He draped it around his shoulders, and drawing his daughter close, took them up to the Aboveground. When they were in the Aboveground, he stepped back away from her and pointed to the place where he had brought her.   
"Oh," was all that she could say.   
The lights that came from this house made the valley seem alive. Everything was so quiet that you could hear the waterfalls in the distance, even though you couldn't see them.   
"Where are we taking him in there?"   
"To the room of the elf who would raise him like his own son."  
Jareth started walking, leading his daughter into this wondrous city. They walked without making a sound. Every now and then, they would see an elf walking down the quiet halls, but they were never seen. Jareth soon stopped in front of a door and quickly let himself in. Aluna followed and the door shut silently behind them. Aluna moved around her father and walked over to the bed where she gently placed the baby. Aragorn had gotten a small bit of her shirt wrapped in his fist and she pried his tiny fingers off her shirt. She looked down at him and sighed.   
"Good luck, little one. I feel that you will need it in the future days to come."   
Aluna moved back as Jareth moved forward. Jareth leaned over the bed and looked at the tiny baby. He remembered when Aluna had been this small and he suddenly realized how much he had missed having a child that small around. His gloved hand gently stroked Aragorn's face before he turned and started to walk out.  
  
"Lord Elrond!" an elf said while hurrying into the study.  
Lord Elrond looked up from the paperwork he was trying to finish. The elf that had hurried in stopped and tried to catch her breath. After she had calmed down, she walked further into the study.   
"My lord, you must come to your room."   
"Why?" Elrond sighed, "What have my sons done now?"   
"I don't think it was your sons, my Lord."   
Elrond stood quickly and hurried to his room. His door was opened and there were several other elves, including his sons, who were standing outside it. They opened a path for the lord to get through and just before he made it into his door, that was when he heard it. A baby crying.  
"What?" Elrond hurried in and saw immediately where the baby was.   
He walked over and gently picked up the crying baby.   
"I don't believe it."  
"Ada, what is it?" one of his sons asked.  
"It is a Dunedain child. This is the son of Arathorn."   
His sons looked at each other and smiled. The heir of Gondor had been found and he was alive and well. Elrond walked back over to the door and looked to one of the many elves who had gathered around.   
"Prepare a nursery. We have to make little Estel comfortable."  
The elves hurried off to do what Lord Elrond had asked. Elrond looked at his sons who were still smiling.   
"Take little Estel and make sure he his fed," Elrond said, gently giving the baby to one of his sons.   
Elrond watched them turn and walk away, looking at Estel like they had never seen a baby before. When they had disappeared around the corner, Elrond closed his door and walked in the opposite direction. He quickly left the lighted halls of the Last Homely House and made his way out into the Valley of Rivendell.  
  
"Father, why do we not leave?" Aluna asked.   
Jareth stood, half in shadow, and continued to watch the valley. He turned to look at his daughter and then looked back into the valley. Nothing was moving and all was silent.   
"Because I am waiting for someone."   
"Who?"  
"I believe he is waiting to talk to me," a voice she had never heard before broke the silence.  
Aluna turned and watched as a figure seemed to appear out of nowhere. The figure approached her father and looked him right in the face. Most people wouldn't dare and the goblins were too scared to meet her father's gaze.   
"It has been a long time, Jareth," the elf said.  
"I would say too long, Lord Elrond," her father answered.   
"I see you are doing well, especially if you now have a daughter."  
Jareth looked over at her and held out his hand. Aluna walked over next to him and turned to face the strange elf.   
"Lord Elrond, I would like to introduce my daughter, Aluna."   
Lord Elrond bowed and said, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aluna."  
Aluna gently bowed her head and replied, "It is my pleasure, Lord Elrond."   
Elrond looked back at Jareth and said, "I take it we have you to thank for the safe return of Estel."  
Jareth just nodded once and placed his arm around his daughter. The silence that stretched between them was nothing great. They each knew that there was nothing else that needed to be said on that matter. After several minutes of silence, Jareth leaned over and whispered into his daughter's ear. She looked up at him and nodded before turning and facing the shadows. Aluna walked into the shadows but she didn't appear after that.   
"She has her mother's eyes," Elrond said quietly.  
"Yes, and her mother's love for all things living."   
"You have raised her well, Jareth. It must be hard because she is half elf."  
"I prefer to think of her as half fae. And yes, it was hard. I have tried to raise her in both the Aboveground, her mother's world, and the Underground, my world."   
They fell into silence again. They each looked at each other, enjoying the silence. Finally, Jareth turned and started to walk into the shadows where his daughter had disappeared into.   
"Jareth, before you go. Are you going to be checking on the babe?"   
Jareth turned, "I may not be all the time but I can tell you who will be a frequent guest. She had grown quite attached to him."  
"Tell her she is welcome anytime she wished to see him."   
With that said, Elrond turned to walk back towards Rivendell while Jareth turned and disappeared into the shadows.


End file.
